Tips to keep squirrels out of bird feeders

Squirrels have long been a source of fascination and frustration for gardeners and bird enthusiasts engaged in a near-constant battle to keep them away from birdfeeders.

A squirrel attempts to eat bird seed on an Eliminator, a squirrel-proof bird feeder. It protects your bird seed from persistent squirrels by technology registering sensitivity set by the owner, that closes the seed ports based on weight of the intruder standing on the perch ring.
(Photo:
AP
)

They’re vermin to some. Cunning adversaries to others. Squirrels have long been a source of fascination and frustration for gardeners and bird enthusiasts engaged in a near-constant battle to keep them away from the nuts and seeds put out for birds.

Greased poles. Loud music. Motion-activated sprinklers.

Bill Adler Jr. has heard all the strategies. And tried many of them.

The 57-year-old humor writer has been collecting tips to keep squirrels from avian meals for three decades, and recently updated his 1988 book, “Outwitting Squirrels: 101 Cunning Stratagems to Reduce Dramatically the Egregious Misappropriation of Seed From Your Birdfeeder by Squirrels” (Chicago Review Press), for a third edition.

The most important thing to know? While technology has changed, squirrels still have little else to do all day but strategize.

Here are some tips from Adler and others to bring a little harmony to your back yard:

The natural

Resigned to the fact that squirrels are going to call his Washington, D.C., yard home, Adler puts out some unsalted mixed nuts along his steps.

“If you feed them, they will tend to leave the birdfeeder alone,” he says.

You also can try filling your feeder with safflower seeds, which are high in fat and protein.

The technical

These days, there are motion-activated outdoor cameras if you want to monitor your feeder, and even motion-activated sprinklers to douse offending squirrels.

“Squirrel-proof” birdfeeders abound. The best, according to Adler and other experts, are those that sit on a 5-foot pole and are covered with a plastic dome or “baffle” that’s hard for squirrels to cling to.

If you want to get even more high-tech, there are weight-activated feeders that actually cover up the feeding ports when a squirrel latches on.